TED Talks with English transcript

11:21

TEDxBeaconStreet

Chris Nowinski: Can I have your brain? The quest for truth on concussions and CTE

2017-11-181,142,793 views

Readability: 3.5

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Something strange and deadly is happening inside the brains of top athletes -- a degenerative condition, possibly linked to concussions, that causes dementia, psychosis and far-too-early death. It's called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, and it's the medical mystery that Chris Nowinski wants to solve by analyzing brains after death. It's also why, when Nowinski meets a pro athlete, his first question is: "Can I have your brain?" Hear more from this ground-breaking effort to protect athletes' brains -- and yours, too.

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09:48

TED@Tommy

Amit Kalra: 3 creative ways to fix fashion's waste problem

2017-11-141,031,057 views

Readability: 4.5

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What happens to the clothes we don't buy? You might think that last season's coats, trousers and turtlenecks end up being put to use, but most of it (nearly 13 million tons each year in the United States alone) ends up in landfills. Fashion has a waste problem, and Amit Kalra wants to fix it. He shares some creative ways the industry can evolve to be more conscientious about the environment -- and gain a competitive advantage at the same time.

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17:00

TEDxBeaconStreet

Sydney Chaffee: How teachers can help kids find their political voices

2017-11-181,356,564 views

Readability: 4.5

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Social justice belongs in our schools, says educator Sydney Chaffee. In a bold talk, she shows how teaching students to engage in activism helps them build important academic and life skills -- and asks us to rethink how we can use education to help kids find their voices. "Teaching will always be a political act," Chaffee says. "We can't be afraid of our students' power. Their power will help them make tomorrow better."

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06:11

TED Salon Brightline Initiative

Bhu Srinivasan: Capitalism isn't an ideology -- it's an operating system

2017-10-171,103,540 views

Readability: 4.2

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Bhu Srinivasan researches the intersection of capitalism and technological progress. Instead of thinking about capitalism as a firm, unchanging ideology, he suggests that we should think of it as an operating system -- one that needs upgrades to keep up with innovation, like the impending take-off of drone delivery services. Learn more about the past and future of the free market (and a potential coming identity crisis for the United States' version of capitalism) with this quick, forward-thinking talk.

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04:55

TEDGlobal 2017

Walé Oyéjidé: Fashion that celebrates African strength and spirit

2017-08-27899,451 views

Readability: 5.3

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"To be African is to be inspired by culture and to be filled with undying hope for the future," says designer and TED Fellow Walé Oyéjidé. With his label Ikiré Jones (you'll see their work in Marvel's "Black Panther"), he uses classic design to showcase the elegance and grace of often-marginalized groups, in beautifully cut clothing that tells a story.

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14:08

TED@BCG Milan

Marco Alverà: The surprising ingredient that makes businesses work better

2017-10-042,718,907 views

Readability: 3.4

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What is it about unfairness? Whether it's not being invited to a friend's wedding or getting penalized for bad luck or an honest mistake, unfairness often makes us so upset that we can't think straight. And it's not just a personal issue -- it's also bad for business, says Marco Alverà. He explains how his company works to create a culture of fairness -- and how tapping into our innate sense of what's right and wrong makes for happier employees and better results.

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12:26

TED2017

Guy Winch: How to fix a broken heart

2017-04-249,818,729 views

Readability: 4.2

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At some point in our lives, almost every one of us will have our heart broken. Imagine how different things would be if we paid more attention to this unique emotional pain. Psychologist Guy Winch reveals how recovering from heartbreak starts with a determination to fight our instincts to idealize and search for answers that aren't there -- and offers a toolkit on how to, eventually, move on. Our hearts might sometimes be broken, but we don't have to break with them.

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13:42

TED@Westpac

Mohamad Jebara: This company pays kids to do their math homework

2017-12-111,121,780 views

Readability: 4.5

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Mohamad Jebara loves mathematics -- but he's concerned that too many students grow up thinking that this beautiful, rewarding subject is difficult and boring. His company is experimenting with a bold idea: paying students for completing weekly math homework. He explores the ethics of this model and how it's helping students -- and why learning math is crucial in the era of fake news.

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02:54

TED@Tommy

Tito Deler: "My Fine Reward"

2017-11-14220,095 views

Readability: 4

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Blues musician Tito Deler combines the sounds of his New York upbringing with the style of pre-war Mississippi Delta blues. He takes the stage, singing and strumming a stirring rendition of his song, "My Fine Reward."

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07:40

TED@Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Irina Kareva: Math can help uncover cancer's secrets

2017-12-281,223,313 views

Readability: 5.8

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Irina Kareva translates biology into mathematics and vice versa. She writes mathematical models that describe the dynamics of cancer, with the goal of developing new drugs that target tumors. "The power and beauty of mathematical modeling lies in the fact that it makes you formalize, in a very rigorous way, what we think we know," Kareva says. "It can help guide us to where we should keep looking, and where there may be a dead end." It all comes down to asking the right question and translating it to the right equation, and back.

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10:16

TED@Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Hannah Bürckstümmer: A printable, flexible, organic solar cell

2017-12-281,350,504 views

Readability: 5.1

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Unlike the solar cells you're used to seeing, organic photovoltaics are made of compounds that are dissolved in ink and can be printed and molded using simple techniques. The result is a low-weight, flexible, semi-transparent film that turns the energy of the sun into electricity. Hannah Bürckstümmer shows us how they're made -- and how they could change the way we power the world.

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10:41

TED@Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Matthias Müllenbeck: What if we paid doctors to keep people healthy?

2017-11-261,479,013 views

Readability: 6.1

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What if we incentivized doctors to keep us healthy instead of paying them only when we're already sick? Matthias Müllenbeck explains how this radical shift from a sick care system to a true health care system could save us from unnecessary costs and risky procedures -- and keep us healthier for longer.

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15:48

TED@Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Daniel Susskind: 3 myths about the future of work (and why they're not true)

2017-12-281,519,249 views

Readability: 4.5

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"Will machines replace humans?" This question is on the mind of anyone with a job to lose. Daniel Susskind confronts this question and three misconceptions we have about our automated future, suggesting we ask something else: How will we distribute wealth in a world when there will be less -- or even no -- work?

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10:42

TED@Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

Ilona Stengel: The role of human emotions in science and research

2017-12-281,231,461 views

Readability: 4.6

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Do human emotions have a role to play in science and research? Material researcher Ilona Stengel suggests that instead of opposing each other, emotions and logic complement and reinforce each other. She shares a case study on how properly using emotions (like the empowering feeling of being dedicated to something meaningful) can boost teamwork and personal development -- and catalyze scientific breakthroughs and innovation.

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22:13

TEDWomen 2017

Valarie Kaur: 3 lessons of revolutionary love in a time of rage

2017-11-012,793,953 views

Readability: 3.4

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What's the antidote to rising nationalism, polarization and hate? In this inspiring, poetic talk, Valarie Kaur asks us to reclaim love as a revolutionary act. As she journeys from the birthing room to tragic sites of bloodshed, Kaur shows us how the choice to love can be a force for justice.

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10:16

TEDGlobal 2017

Zachariah Mampilly: How protest is redefining democracy around the world

2017-08-27908,283 views

Readability: 6.2

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The democratic process is messy, complicated and often inefficient -- but across Africa, activists are redefining democracy by putting protest at its center. In an illuminating talk, political scientist Zachariah Mampilly gives us a primer on the current wave of protests reshaping countries like Tunisia, Malawi and Zimbabwe -- and explains how this form of political dissension expands our political imaginations beyond what we're told is possible.

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13:34

TEDWomen 2017

John Cary: How architecture can create dignity for all

2017-11-011,072,061 views

Readability: 4.3

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If architect and writer John Cary has his way, women will never need to stand in pointlessly long bathroom lines again. Lines like these are representative of a more serious issue, Cary says: the lack of diversity in design that leads to thoughtless, compassionless spaces. Design has a unique ability to dignify and make people feel valued, respected, honored and seen -- but the flip side is also true. Cary calls for architects and designers to expand their ranks and commit to serving the public good, not just the privileged few. "Well-designed spaces are not just a matter of taste or a questions of aesthetics," he says. "They literally shape our ideas about who we are in the world and what we deserve." And we all deserve better.

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07:50

TEDWomen 2017

Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa: Black life at the intersection of birth and death

2017-11-02935,328 views

Readability: 3.3

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"It is the artist's job to unearth stories that people try to bury with shovels of complacency and time," says poet and freedom fighter Mwende "FreeQuency" Katwiwa. Performing her poem "The Joys of Motherhood," Katwiwa explores the experience of Black mothers in America and discusses the impact of the Movement for Black Lives -- because, she says, it's impossible to separate the two.

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10:52

TEDNYC

Danielle Wood: 6 space technologies we can use to improve life on Earth

2017-11-161,279,925 views

Readability: 5

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Danielle Wood leads the Space Enabled research group at the MIT Media Lab, where she works to tear down the barriers that limit the benefits of space exploration to only the few, the rich or the elite. She identifies six technologies developed for space exploration that can contribute to sustainable development across the world -- from observation satellites that provide information to aid organizations to medical research on microgravity that can be used to improve health care on Earth. "Space truly is useful for sustainable development for the benefit of all peoples," Wood says.

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14:29

TEDGlobal 2017

Amar Inamdar: The thrilling potential for off-grid solar energy

2017-08-271,539,589 views

Readability: 4.1

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There's an energy revolution happening in villages and towns across Africa -- off-grid solar energy is becoming a viable alternative to traditional electricity systems. In a bold talk about a true leapfrog moment, Amar Inamdar introduces us to proud owners of off-grid solar kits -- and explains how this technology has the opportunity to meet two extraordinary goals: energy access for all and a low-carbon future. "Every household a proud producer as well as consumer of energy," Inamdar says. "That's the democracy of energy." (Followed by a brief Q&A with TED Curator Chris Anderson)

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16:49

TEDWomen 2017

Susan David: The gift and power of emotional courage

2017-11-026,509,711 views

Readability: 4.2

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Psychologist Susan David shares how the way we deal with our emotions shapes everything that matters: our actions, careers, relationships, health and happiness. In this deeply moving, humorous and potentially life-changing talk, she challenges a culture that prizes positivity over emotional truth and discusses the powerful strategies of emotional agility. A talk to share.

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07:36

TEDGlobal 2017

Su Kahumbu: How we can help hungry kids, one text at a time

2017-08-271,001,801 views

Readability: 5.7

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Su Kahumbu raises badass cows -- healthy, well-fed animals whose protein is key to solving a growing crisis in Africa: childhood nutritional stunting. With iCow, a simple SMS service she developed to support small-scale livestock farmers, the TED Fellow is helping farmers across the continent by texting them tips on caring for and raising animals. Learn more about how this cheap innovation is helping feed hungry kids, one text at a time.

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13:09

TED@BCG Milan

Karen Lloyd: This deep-sea mystery is changing our understanding of life

2017-10-042,218,620 views

Readability: 3.9

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How deep into the Earth can we go and still find life? Marine microbiologist Karen Lloyd introduces us to deep-subsurface microbes: tiny organisms that live buried meters deep in ocean mud and have been on Earth since way before animals. Learn more about these mysterious microbes, which refuse to grow in the lab and seem to have a fundamentally different relationship with time and energy than we do.

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13:46

TED@Westpac

Michelle Knox: Talk about your death while you're still healthy

2017-12-111,338,468 views

Readability: 4.1

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Do you know what you want when you die? Do you know how you want to be remembered? In a candid, heartfelt talk about a subject most of us would rather not discuss, Michelle Knox asks each of us to reflect on our core values around death and share them with our loved ones, so they can make informed decisions without fear of having failed to honor our legacies. "Life would be a lot easier to live if we talked about death now," Knox says. "We need to discuss these issues when we are fit and healthy so we can take the emotion out of it -- and then we can learn not just what is important, but why it's important."

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10:57

TEDxYorkU

Stuart Duncan: How I use Minecraft to help kids with autism

2017-04-221,147,956 views

Readability: 3.2

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The internet can be an ugly place, but you won't find bullies or trolls on Stuart Duncan's Minecraft server, AutCraft. Designed for children with autism and their families, AutCraft creates a safe online environment for play and self-expression for kids who sometimes behave a bit differently than their peers (and who might be singled out elsewhere). Learn more about one of the best places on the internet with this heartwarming talk.

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11:42

TEDxOslo

Nina Dølvik Brochmann and Ellen Støkken Dahl: The virginity fraud

2017-05-031,546,342 views

Readability: 4.4

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The hymen is still the most misunderstood part of the female body. Nina Dølvik Brochmann and Ellen Støkken Dahl share their mission to empower young people through better sex education, debunking the popular (and harmful) myths we're told about female virginity and the hymen.

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16:12

TEDWomen 2017

Anjali Kumar: My failed mission to find God -- and what I found instead

2017-11-022,815,027 views

Readability: 4.5

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Anjali Kumar went looking for God and ended up finding something else entirely. In an uplifting, funny talk about our shared humanity, she takes us on a spiritual pilgrimage to meet witches in New York, a shaman in Peru, an infamous "healer" in Brazil and others, sharing an important lesson: what binds us together is far stronger than what separates us, and our differences are not insurmountable.

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14:12

TED Salon Brightline Initiative

Matt Goldman: The search for "aha!" moments

2017-10-171,238,048 views

Readability: 4.1

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In 1988, Matt Goldman co-founded Blue Man Group, an off-Broadway production that became a sensation known for its humor, blue body paint and wild stunts. The show works on the premise that certain conditions can create "aha moments" -- moments of surprise, learning and exuberance -- frequent and intentional rather than random and occasional. Now Goldman is working to apply the lessons learned from Blue Man Group to education, creating Blue School, a school that balances academic mastery, creative thinking and self and social intelligence. "We need to cultivate safe and conducive conditions for new and innovative ideas to evolve and thrive," Goldman says.

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04:44

TEDGlobal 2017

Mike Gil: Could fish social networks help us save coral reefs?

2017-08-271,010,095 views

Readability: 5.9

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Mike Gil spies on fish: using novel multi-camera systems and computer vision technology, the TED Fellow and his colleagues explore how coral reef fish behave, socialize and affect their ecosystems. Learn more about how fish of different species communicate via social networks -- and what disrupting these networks might mean to the delicate ecology of reefs, which help feed millions of us and support the global economy.

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11:01

TEDWomen 2017

Cleo Wade: Want to change the world? Start by being brave enough to care

2017-11-012,996,725 views

Readability: 2.7

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Artist and poet Cleo Wade recites a moving poem about being an advocate for love and acceptance in a time when both seem in short supply. Woven between stories of people at the beginning and end of their lives, she shares some truths about growing up (and speaking up) and reflects on the wisdom of a life well-lived, leaving us with a simple yet enduring takeaway: be good to yourself, be good to others, be good to the earth. "The world will say to you, 'Be a better person,'" Wade says. "Do not be afraid to say, 'Yes.'"

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